The housemaid tried to stop them but was repelled into a corner.
The men demanded to know where Ashley was, and she pointed in the direction of the bedroom on the second floor.
With that, they proceeded to force their way into the room and seized Ashley.
Harvey and Emma were shoved aside effortlessly, and no amount of frantic kicking and screaming they could muster out of their pampered bodies could stop the troopers from dragging Ashley away.
Meanwhile, Vivian had just awoken.
She slept like a log the night before and felt re-energized. There was no hint of a hangover from the troubles of yesterday.
Finnick had been waiting in the dining room since early in the morning. With a bright smile on her face, Vivian walked over and sat down beside him.
He said, “You look well.”
Vivian took a huge gulp of soy milk before she responded, “Uh-huh, I’m revived! It doesn’t matter what anyone says so long as you believe me.”
Finnick could not mask a smile as he looked at Vivian. “I’ve taken the liberty to apply for leave from the magazine company on your behalf. I would like to take you somewhere.”
Vivian was surprised. What place could it be? Why is it so important to him? Is it going to be another press conference or formal occasion?Would it be appropriate for us to be seen together at this critical juncture?
She declined as she did not want to trouble Finnick.
“I don’t wish to go,” Vivian said.
It was as though Finnick could read her thoughts. “Not to worry. It’s nothing along those lines.”
Vivian was perplexed. She did not know what Finnick was up to, but she followed him into the car after breakfast since he was insistent.
As her phone was switched off the entire time, she had no idea about the storm raging on the internet and how the plot turned against Ashley.
The black Bentley came to an abandoned warehouse. It was an old cold storage facility with things strewn all over the place. Vivian sneezed upon entering the warehouse.
Noticing that, Finnick quickly offered her his coat.
“No, you will get a chill.”
“Put it on.”
Vivian felt much warmer as she obediently pulled the coat over herself.
As they pushed through the doors, she saw a disheveled Ashley prone on the floor, gagged with her hands bound behind her.
Vivian was stunned. “Finnick, what is this?”
Ashley’s eyes widened in surprise. Unable to speak, her heart raced when she saw Finnick and Vivian.
Finnick let out a sneer. The moment he wanted to speak, someone barged into the warehouse.
It turned out to be Fabian and Emma. From the way they were panting, it was evident that they took a lot of effort to find their way here.
Vivian was even more astonished to see them. Was Ashley kidnapped here? Why’re there so many people gathered here? Even Emma has shown up.
What’s going on?
Finnick was just as surprised to see them. But very quickly, he was able to put two and two together.
Fabian and Emma are no fools. They must have figured out that I was behind it after Ashley was taken. When they could not find her anywhere, they kept tabs on me and tailed us here.
But what do they believe could be accomplished by coming here?
Finnick snorted as he ignored them.
By now, Emma’s face was already awash with tears. She continued to cry her eyes out when she fell to her knees before him.
“Mr. Norton, you are a magnanimous man. Please let my daughter go, I beg of you! If revenge is what you want, take it out on me! Please!”
Vivian was dumbfounded. To have a woman as prideful as Emma, who was used to getting her way, humble herself like this was unprecedented.
When Emma saw Vivian from the corner of her eye, she immediately turned to face her.
Vivian panicked and ducked behind her husband.
Emma wept in anguish. “Oh Vivian, no matter what Ashley did, she is still your sister! Please forgive her! I’ll kowtow to you… Just let my daughter go! S-She is innocent. You are all making a mistake!”
